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The Commoner.
AUGUST 10, 1906
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IOWA REPUBLICANS
The renomination of Governor Cummins of
Iowa was a victory for the tariff revisionists
within the republican party as well as a pro
test against corporation domination in republican
party affairs. Four and five years ago the repub
lican state convention for Iowa under the lead
ership of Cummins and his associates, adopted a
tariff plank as follows: "We favor such amend
ment of the interstate commerce act as will moro
fully carry out its prohibition of discriminations
In rate making and any modification of the tariff
schedules that may be required to prevent their
affording shelter to monopoly."
The Iowa republican convention for 190G
said:
"We are uncompromisingly in favor of
the American system of protection. Duties
on foreign imports should not be levied for
revenue only, but shduld be so adjusted as to
promote our domestic interests, enlarge our
foreign markets, secure remunerative prices -for
the products of our factories and farms
and maintain a superior scale of wages and '
standard of living for American labor. Wise
and unselfish, tariff laws maintained in the in- '
terest of the general warfare, equally opposed
to foreign control and domestic monopoly are
essential to our commercial and industrial
prosperity. We believe that all inequalities
in the tariff schedules which inevitably arise
from changing industrial and commercial
conditions should be adjusted from time to
time; and, condemning without reserve all
assaults upon the protective system, we favor
such reasonable and timely changes as will
keep the tariff in harmony with our industrial
" and commercial progress. We favor the reci
procity inaugurated by Blaine, advocated by
McKinley and Roosevelt, and as recognized in
republican platforms and legislation."
The plank of 1906 by no means -compares with
the planks of 1901 and 1902. It clearly shows
the anxiety on the part of the Cummins leaders
to make it as pleasant as possible for the extreme
protectionists and in the sight of one who likes
to have platforms deal explicitly with great is
sues, It is by no means satisfactory. It is, how
ever, plainly interpreted by the standpatters of
Iowa as showing a determination on the part of
the Cummins republicans that the shelter which
the trusts find in the tariff shall be destroyed.
Republican leaders will find themselves great
ly embarrassed in Iowa this year. If the republi
can votes for Cummins he gives his endorsement
to the growing revolt within the republican party
against the trust breeding tariff; then when he
votes for the republican candidate for congress,
he votes in favor of "standing pat," and in sup
port of the trust breeding tariff.
The situation is all so perplexing that it
might be well for the Iowa republican to do a
little thinking on his own account and vote in
accordance with his convictions.
JJJ '
THE RIGHTEOUS MR. ROCKEFELLER
The society women of White Plains, N. Y.,
will not play progressive euchre in order to raise
funds for a new Y. M. C. A. building. They had
made all arrangements to,, do so, but they received
a gentle hint that Mr. Rockefeller would not like
the idea and might withdraw his support. The
only "progressive" game that Mr. Rockefeller
likes, is connected with the price of kerosene, and
in playing that Mr. Rockefeller makes it a game
of "solitaire." No one acquainted with Mr. Rock
efeller's horror of everything pertaining to games
of chance will be surprised that he should have
stopped a progressive euchre game. He depre
cates engaging in games of chance. Mr. Rocke
feller never takes chances. He has a "cinch."
JJJ
MR. SHAW'S ORDER
In March, 1900, congress passed a law declar-'
Ing that "all forms of money issued or coined by
the United States shall be maintained at a
parity of value with the dollar, consisting of
25 8-10 grains of gold, nine-tenths fine as estab
lished by section 3511 of the Revised Statutes of
the United States." Under this law, it is made
the duty of the secretary of the treasury to main
tain such parity, and It was framed with a view
of authorizing the secretary of the treasury to
redeem one dollar in any other dollar whenever,
in his judgment, such a course is necessary.
Acting under this law, Secretary Shaw has
ordered the assistant treasurers of the United
States to redeem silver dollars in gold whenever
a demand to that effect is mado upon them. Re
publican leaders have for many years persistent
ly Bought to place the silver dollar at a disadvant
age, but with all its handicaps the "dollar of
our daddies" has played its part well. Although
the metal of which it is constructed has been
subjected to adverse legislation, tho old dollar
has habitually done business at the old stand,
children have cried for it, women have sighod
for It and men have died for It. There hns never
been tho slightest question as to its parity with
the gold dollar and there will bo no such ques
tion raised so long as it is receivable for all
debts, public and private, oven though there bo
a provision "except whero otherwise expressly
stipulated in the contract."
Secretary Shaw is not alarmed ns to the
standing of the silver dollar. Tho ordor he has
issued to the assistant treasurers is simply a
quiet move in tho well understood program on
the part of the financiers to destroy tho silver
dollar just as they Intend, at tho first opportunity,
to destroy the greenbacks. There is not the
slightest justification for Secretary Shaw's order.
JJJ
LORIMER
Former United States Senator William E. Ma
son has taken the stump in Chicago in opposi
tion to the renomination of Representative Lori
mer. Mr. Mason charges that when the meat bill
was pending, Mr. Lorimer made a flying trip to
the- country homo of one of the packers and re
turning to Washington, said: "Gentlemen, we
do not want to print tho dates on the cans; tho
packers do not want it." Lorimer and tho packers
had their way. The dates are not to be printed
on the cans.
But why does Mr. Mason condemn Mr. Lori
mer? Mr. Roosevelt Is satisfied with the meat
bill, which according to Lorimer, and according
also t Mason, is Lorimer's handiwork. Of what
importance is It that tho packers dictated tho
terms of this measure and in tho end secured
practically all they desired? Why should Lori
mer be criticised? Why not renominate him with
louder cheers than heretofore? Why not re-elect
him with increased majorities? Why not "Stand
by Roosevelt?" by standing by Lorimer?
JJJ
THE OLD SONGS
Speaker Cannon visited in Rushville, Ind.,
last week, and when he expressed a fondness
for the old hymn tunes his Host hurriedly called
In all the choir singers in the neighborhood and
had them sing for "Uncle Joe." We trust that
tho singers were careful in making their selec
tions. If they sang "A charge to keep I have" it
mu3t have reminded "Uncle Joe" of his obliga
tions to the trusts and corporations. And if they
rendered with feeling that good old hymn, "Bax
ter Street," it must have reminded "Uncle Joe" of
the devious bargains his party has mado on dif
ferent occasions with selfish Interests determined
on maintaining their private graft at public ex
pense. If they rendered "When tho roll is called
up yonder" "Uncle Joe" certainly thought it a
sly reference to his habit of enacting legislation
without consulting tho men elected by the people
for that purpose. We hope the Rushville singers
were very careful in their selections when they
sang for "Uncle Joe."
JJJ
IS THIS A "SQUARE DEAL?"
Before sailing for Europe, E. H. Garey, chair
man of the board of directors of the Steel Trust
said that the truBt had received in the month of
June new business of nearly 100 per cent moro
than in the corresponding month of last year.
He further said that the net qarnings of the trust
for the year will be between $140,000,000 and $150,
000,000 as compared with the previous high record
of $133,000,000.
Referring to Mr. Garey's statement, the
Washington correspondent for the Houston,
(Texas) Post makes comment so interesting that
it deserves to be read and re-read by every Amer
ican citizen: "Thus this puling infant industry,
which the republican tariff protects from competi
tion by duties of 20 to 93 per cent, is allowed to
extort from the people about $130,000,000 profits
after paying all expenses, including the payment
of $18,240,000 for Interest and sinking fund on
outstanding bonds at 6 per cent Interest. This
will leave over 13 per cent that can be paid as
a dividend on the outstanding common and pre
ferred stock which amounts to $1,018,560,200, more
than half of which is notoriously watered stock,
so that the interest earned on the actual money
invested Is 26 per cent. Tho tariff profits of tho
steel trust aro estimated to oxceed $75,000,000, so
if tho whole tariff schcdulo on Iron and steel was
cut down 50 per cent, thereby reducing tho tariff
profits to $37,500,000, tho stool trust would still
bo making nearly $100,000,000 profit. Tho steol
trust, of course, would doclaro they would bo
ruined, If such a proposition was boforo congress,
and tho republicans would voto against such a
bill for tariff roduction, but if tho democrats elect
a majority of tho members of congress this fall,
that will bo ono of tho tariff reform measures that
tho trust and Its republican friends will havo to
meet. Can any disinterested, person say it is not
a fair proposition ana a square deal all around?"
JJJ
COREY, THE "DEFENDER OF NATIONAL
HONOR"
Referring to Hie fact that tho wife of tho
president of tho Stoel Trust was granted a di
vorce with tho custody of her son, the Milwaukee
Sentinel says: "Tho question arises, is conduct
of that Bort to go unpunished? What Is society
going to do about it? And what are the directors
of tho great concern at whose head is this wife
deserter who, as tho court decides, Is unfit for
the custody of his own son, going to do about it?
Social ostracism has been recommended nil an
effective penalty for tho culpable principals In
theso divorce scandals; and here, certainly, seems
to bo a fit opportunity to apply It. Somo of Mr.
Corey's friends havo argued that this disgraceful
passage In his domestic llfo raises no quostlon
as to his fitness for tho presidency of the steel
corporation. One Is a moral and personal, tho
other a business question. It would bo Interesting
to learn what Mr. Carnegie, for instance, would
say about that distinction."
Mr. Carnegio knew all about Corey's treat
ment of his faithful wife when he assigned him
the seat of honor at tho dinner to the officers
of the Steel Trust, given at tho Carnegio homo.
No ono believes that Mr. Carnegio approves of
Corey's miserable conduct, but we remember that
Schwab lost his position as chief of tho Steel
Trust because of his gambling proclivities. When
It was reported that word had been sent to Corey
that ho must arrange matters with his wife or
else retire, it was said that Corey had retorted
that he would not be subjected to discipline, It
would seem that whatever opinion Mr. Carnegie
and tho officers of the Steel Trust may ho'd, they
do not care to remove Corey. Can It bo that
while not knowing any moro of Steel Trust affairs
than Schwab, Corey is not so tractable as Schwab?
JJJ
UNGRATEFUL AND DISCOURTEOUS
Tho Gaikwar of Baroda, an Oriental prince
and potentate who has been visiting our shores,
has departed for home. While visiting with us
he was showered with attentions and given the
best we had in the shop. But how has ho re
turned all our kindness and attention? Just be
fore his ship sailed out upon the briny deep ho
declared that during his entire stay In the Uni
ted States he did not see ono handsome woman.
That reminds us of Lady Churchill's retort to tho
English lord who declared that the Americans ho
visited In thl3 country had execrable table man
ners. Lady Churchill, an American girl by birth
and education, replied: "My lord, your letters
of introduction must have been very poor."
If the Gaikwar of Baroda saw no handsome
women while In the United States he should at
once consult an oculist. There Is something,
wrong with his eyesight. We've got them In
every village, hamlet, town and city in the coun
try, and on every farm outside of municipal lim
its. We care not what tho Galkwar's idea of
beauty may be, we have It In profusion In this
great republic. We caro not a bit what tho
Galkwar's opinion of us may bo, but when ho
declares we have no beautiful woman in this
country we are going to raise right up and hurl
it back In his teeth. No little old gaikwar of
anywhere ian tell us that without getting up a
fuss with us. We've got an opinion of a man
who will accept all the fine attentions we gave
the Gaikwar of Baroda and then repay us by de
claring that our American women the hand
somest, the brightest and the best in the world
are all homely. The Gaikwar of Baroda showed
discretion in awaiting the moment when his ship
started homeward before making such a foolish
charge.
The battleship Milwaukee Is a great ship,
but it will have to take second place as an ad
vertisement for Milwaukee.
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